Frugal Friday’s TPS Report: Cap Sleeve Tee

Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

I was originally going recommend another top from The Limited, but then I started poking around the site and found this highly rated cap sleeve tee, available in 14(!) colors. Every comment talks about how comfortable it is, how soft, how versatile, how great it is under suits, and how the commenter has gone back to buy it in another three colors they love it so much. So I had to pass it along to you guys — particularly since The Limited is having a sitewide $25 off ever $50 you spend sale (with code JUST4U) that makes the$26.90 top basically two for one. Cap Sleeve Tee

Comments

i love this color tee! okay, here’s my tj – i need a tan pencil skirt. sounds easy, right? Well, it hasn’t been. I’m pretty “straight” shaped, 5’6 and wear a pretty consistant 4 in BR. I’ve had a really really hard time finding a tan pencil skirt for spring/summer that doesn’t float up over my hips while i walk. i think it’s cause i dont really have any hips to like, hold it down? Anyone have any suggestions? looking for kind of a summery weight material, but year round is fine, just not super hot. and, for anyone who needs a shopping suggestion, i’m on wear # 6 of my target “value” merona kimono dress today and it’s just as amazing as when i first bought it – washes great, wears well, holds up to my ineveitable spilling of coffee and salad dressings…

This is what I was going to suggest, too.
Also, try the JCrew pencil skirt in warm siena – they tend to cut for a straighter figure and even if it’s not perfect, with the wide waistband it’s probably simple to take it. http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/suiting/super120s/PRDOVR~86013/86013.jsp

I don’t have any skirt suggestions, but I found that my pencil skirts (and sheaths) moved less when I took shorter steps. It was difficult at first because I naturally have such a long “New Yorker” stride, but it’s better than the constant adjusting I was doing.

I went to the store for the first time in ages and was surprised by how much I liked the clothes. I found it ran large, though. I am petite, usually an XS or 2. I tried on a shirt and a jacket in XS, and they sadly seemed to be at least one size too large.

While I loved the movie, I walked away wondering if the events that transpired would make Chihiro lose a lot of respect for her parents going forward. It’s one thing to have your faith in your parents shaken when you’re a teenager, but I think Chihiro is 10! Tough to have to save your parents’ bacon (couldn’t resist…) when you’re only 10.

I bought this shirt in Small, which is what I normally wear at the Limited, and I was happy with the fit. The shirt is on the long-ish side, but not too long to waar untucked. Very nice shirt & I would buy a few more if I had some extra $$ to drop.

I bought three… IMO they do run TTS, but are very stretchy, so even though I bought the XL, I really could have done a L if it wasn’t available. The fabric is kinda clingy, as other commenters have noted, but I believe that is a characteristic of the stretchy. And the length is great – right at low hip, so a good amount of length to tuck and know that it will stay, or to leave untucked to wear more casually.

I have this shirt in purple, and I do like it a lot- the fabric is really nicely stretchy but not too clingy, soft, and I love the color and fit. But I would say that it’s started to wear a little bit more then I would prefer (I’ve had it almost a year, so maybe I’m being too picky, but I’ve washed it on delicate), with some minor pilling.

Threadjack: Headaches and pregnancy. I’ve long been plagued with sinus headaches and dizziness, particularly when the weather changes suddenly or storms come through. The only thing that’s helped is Advil and Sinus medication (Sudefed or similar) taken together. Unfortunately, neither one of these appear to be OK for pregnancy. Tylenol doesn’t make a dent in the pain. Anyone have any suggestions?

I would definitely call your doctor. I know that mine doesn’t want me to take anything ever, unless it is really an emergency, but a younger friend said hers OKd Sudafed. I would not take ibuprofen (Advil) because the harm it could do your liver (or your baby’s liver).

I am not a doctor, and I am not giving medical advice. Please check with your doctor.

I usually just took Tylenol and lived with it. However, my doctor was not a scaremonger and allowed me to take Advil when I really needed it in the first two trimesters. My understanding is that if ibuprofen is going to cause problems with pregnancy, it is generally only late in the third trimester when it can cause a problem with the baby’s lungs before delivery.

Not a doctor — well, not that kind! But my medical doctor has OK’d Sudafed and Tylenol Cold and Sinus. Also plain Tylenol, and don’t forget that should it turn into a sinus infection, you can also take antibiotics. Different doctors have such widely varying ideas of what’s OK!

Likewise. I was horrified when my friend came to a party with terrible allergy symptoms and told me she couldn’t take anything because she’s still breastfeeding. Between pregnancy and breastfeeding, that’s one year, nine months without allergy meds. Yowza.

Never been pg but thought I heard Claritin was safe. The whole med/pregnancy thing is one reason I seriously may not have bio children. I spent my 20’s figuring out all my medical conditions and getting the right dose of every med and finally feel good. I really dread the idea of stopping all of them. My doc assured me that certain meds may still be used if the benefits outweigh the harms but the guilt of that possibility of harm would really bother me I think. Why can’t guys just carry and birth the baby!

Nah, it’s not that bad (or it doesn’t have to be). Some stuff is tested for PG women, most stuff is unknown (how do you experiment on that?), and some stuff is known to cause problems (thalidomide) or ability to cause problems (raw fish).

I love my children even more b/c my caffeine-Thai-dairy consumption never seemed to interfere with their sleep / digstive issues. I limited caffeine for the first trimester (am not a coffee drinker though), but after (including when nursing) was committed to business as usual *unless* it appeared to be causing a problem.

It’s weird. I had no trouble at all giving up wine, which I really thought I would miss, but I was so so missing my coffee! You get used to not eating or drinking certain things, though, and it really helps if your partner gives them up too. Also, as soon as my baby was born, my husband brought out a major previously-forbidden foods party with sushi, pate, soft cheese–you name it.

I’ll admit that I’m definitely not being millitant about most of these things. Cheese and cold cuts, I eat fairly rarely anyway (at least, the dangerous kind of cheese), same with sushi, but I’m not declaring those things completely off-limits. I’m being careful with caffeine, but I’m still having my usual black tea in the morning and green tea after lunch. If I’m going to have coffee, I try to limit it to a half-cup. (the 300 mg ceiling is about 2 cups of regular coffee, or 6 cups of black tea, so that’s a lot more than I drink on a regular basis.) But medicine, even the friendly OTC types, just seems a little bit scarier.

I am very ambivalent about having kids but I have to say what moves me into the column of no is the pregnancy stuff – not only the restrictions but the actual birth grossness and pain. I am a giant wuss who cries at the dentist so I’m pretty sure I would have a total breakdown with all the medical-related pregnancy stuff. I admire those who so gracefully handle all of it.

Don’t have or not have kids/pregnancy based on comments (including mine) on an internet forum. Talk to a doctor or read up on it.

For allergies, I subsituted NasalChrom spray for Zyrtec. As others have said it’s only RAW fish (and some fish high in mercury like swordfish), raw unpasturized cheese (nix the Brie, eat the cheddar), some cold-cuts, alcohol and high doses of caffeine. If you have long-standing medical issues like epilepsy, RA, diabetes, allergies, please see if there are options. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Don’t take sudafed if you’re in your first trimester! Its not approved for that.

I feel you, as I’m just overcoming a flu (at 5 1/2 weeks) and doc only said I could take tylenol for the fever…and then only to keep it below 101.

I’ve been using steam and a neti pot. It takes some getting used to, but it works pretty well. Keep in mind, sinutis is very common in pregnancy because the hormones activate your mucus membranes…so you want to find a solution you’re comfortable using frequently.

When I had a bad cold over new year’s, my mom made me get a NETI pot, and after breatheing in alot of the peperminted hot steam, I got all decongested VERY quickly!

When I came back into work, I recomended it to the manageing partner, who was bloweing his nose all winter (UGH!) and useing the same dirty hankercheif and sticking it back into his vest pocket (gross!).

I have to work all weekend on 2 EBT’s! This place is terible on weekend’s b/c they turn off the a/c and heat. FOOEY!

Have you tried using a netipot? I have gotten migraines and sinus headaches, but using a netipot twice a day (when I wake up and in the evening) has really helped with my sinus headaches. Like you, I’ve relied on a sudafed/tylenol regiment for my sinus headaches, but using the netipot has almost eliminated my need for them.

I don’t know what is allowable for pregnancy, but I was prescribed Flonase for similar issues. It reduces swelling in nasal passages, or something, and works well. If you’re looking for a non-medical option, acupuncture and massage can help with sinus problems. Also, if you’re not already, start using a Neti pot to rinse your sinuses every day or two.

My OB okayed Sudafed and Claritin (both regular and D) which both help my sinus headaches and weather/pressure related changes. Her practice (at Northwestern in Chicago) puts out a patient brochure that says Sudafed is fine, so it can’t be that awful:)

I have a history of sinus issues and I got one of those nasty summer colds during my second semester. My pharmacist recommended a eucalyptus saline nasal spray. It was reasonably effective and doesn’t have the rebound issues something like Afrin has — maybe worth a try?

How far along are you? I had the worst, awful monster migraines of my life during my first trimester. I only took Tylenol, which didn’t help much. Taking a day and resting with the shades drawn and a cool compress on my head helped some, as I seemed to be light sensitive. As soon as the second trimester rolled around I was fine. Do you have morning sickness as well? My doctor said women usually get one or the other, morning sickness or migraines, and the superstition was that morning sickness means a girl, headaches mean a boy. She was right :)

Heh. I’m 6.5 wks along, so it’s still pretty early. No morning sickness at all (yet! knock on wood), and not even any fatigue until this headache hit yesterday. But the headaches aren’t particularly unusual for me – I’ve gotten them for years when the weather does something strange (we had storms last night).

Of course, they seemed to go away a few months after I went off the pill, so maybe they are pregnancy related (and pill related, in that way that the pill tricks your body into thinking it’s pregnant). Either way, they suck.

Hmm… that sounds a lot like me. I also had (and have, now that I’m b-freeding and not on the pill) hormone-related headaches. But the pregnancy headaches were something else as far as intensity. I hope your headaches end in the second trimester! Really, as soon as I hit that mark, I felt great. Feel better!

Forgot to say: some pregnancy headaches are caused by lack of protein. If you can stomach it, try cottage cheese when you first get up, then breakfast. Even a spoonful of cottage cheese would help me sometimes.

Bah. I puked multiple times a day during the first trimester and had a boy. TBH, remembering the misery of my first trimester has kept my baby fever in check somewhat because I am SO not looking forward to going through that again.

My OB okayed Sudafed (I am a daily user) and Tylenol. When PG, especially near the end, you have a massive blood volume comapred to a non-PG person of same height/weight and this can result in vascular-type headaches. Good luck!

OK, I spoke to my doctor’s office, and they did OK Sudafed. Yay! She also said that Tylenol Cold and Sinus is OK, along with Dayquil/Nitequil and Vicks rub. I’ve got an “orientation” appointment next week, so I’m thinking that I’ll just gather up all of my usual medications beforehand so that I can go over each one then.

That makes me feel a lot better! Thanks for all of the other suggestions, too – I’m going to see about getting a neti pot.

I had horrible migraines during my high-risk pregnancy and my doc (maternal fetal specialist) prescribed tylenol with codeine. Not as good as migraine meds, but helped.

I was also could-not-breathe stopped up. My doc said no sudafed, but benadryl was ok (I really think this varies from doc to doc). Afrin and Nasonex were the only things that saved me (claritin didn’t work). And truly, the absolute cure? labor and delivery (I thought it was so mean when someone told me this, but turned out to be true…the morning I delivered I had to use Afrin, that was 7 months ago and I haven’t used it since.

If you don’t mind me asking are you by any chance more petite up top? As a chestier woman, Dolman tops just make me look bigger by giving me the added “your boobs are so big they need some of your sleeve area to fit” look.

I’m large of bust and I like them because they tend to be a bit looser up top. With a nice draped neckline, it’s casually s*xy without being obnoxious. There’s a fine line between a nice loose, flowy sleeve and having way too much material so you just have wings.

I agree with this. I’m larger on top than on bottom, but I carry my weight mostly in my mid-section, and I really like dolman sleeves because I feel like they are both very forgiving and very flattering. I pair them with something very slim-fitting on the bottom.

I will agree that there is such a thing as too much sleeve material. I like the more moderate dolman sleeves — and all of mine are to-the-elbow sleeves, which I think keeps the “batwing” effect in check a little bit, too.

im just sort of average, or maybe on the petite side of average, so i get what you are saying. And yes, i do generally style them with more fitted bottoms. I picked up a white suit from the Limited as well (I know, I seriously have a shopping problem . . . ), which i will probably wear this navy/white polka dot dolman sleeve top this summer.

maybe this is a sign that I’m way too slaphappy already this morning, but the way the discount code ends in “4U” prompted Stanford’s (SATC) online chat buddy BIGTOOL4U to pop into my head.

Philly ladies – any newish BYOs around Center City that you’ve tried and liked? Looking for somewhere to go tomorrow night, haven’t been keeping up with restaurant news over the past month or two, and in the mood to try something other than the usual Melograno / Audrey / Mercato / Kanella standbys, even though they are delicious!

Now for my threadjack. My current internship ends this month and in August I’ll be graduating with my Master’s degree. I’ve always wanted to live and work in London and have decided that now is the time to find out if that’s what I really want to do. I’m 24, am single and without roots so I’m free to try this now.

My plan is to set up appointments with employment agencies, send out resumes in the hope I can get an interview, and go over for six weeks in September to test the waters. I have been to London several times and fell in love with the city when I was ten but living there on my own will be different than travelling with my mother and staying with relatives.

I have family north and south of London but don’t want to stay with them as I’ll be there for six weeks. My real concern is where to stay that won’t completely bankrupt me. I don’t really like hostels and know my standard 5-star hotel stays are out of the budget. Any recommendations for bed and breakfast, extended stay type places that are extremely clean, in or no more than a 40 minute train ride from London, and with a younger crowd? This is all new to me so I appreciate any tips you may have.

I’m currently building my budget to include my airfare, my rooming situation, food, public transport, and fun money because I love British fashion! I’ve also started my packing list. Is there anything you would add, to the budget or my packing list?

Thanks for any advice you ladies have for me!!!
(I have dual citizenship with the US and an EU country so visas aren’t going to be an issue for me, btw)

I studied abroad in London, and remember that some of the student accommodations rent rooms that are good for medium-term stays. I’d look up some of the universities in London (UCL, Kings, SOAS, etc.) and inquire if they have any dorms/student quarters for rent around that time.

I know you said you hate hostels – but the type of thing you’re looking for can sometimes be found at hostelworld (dot) com.
They have lots of low-price private rooms with private bathrooms at places that are sometimes called hostels, but are really just as nice as any hotel.

I agree that a short-term furnished rental would be a good option (although of course you won’t be part of a community of younger people, like you would in a hostel or university housing). Five years ago, we found a furnished flat in London for a week that was about the same cost as a moderately priced hotel but with lots more room, a kitchen so we could at least do breakfast there and even laundry. We used nyhabitat dot com; they have rental units in NY, London, Paris and a few other cities. The person we worked with was very helpful — and patient — in finding the best location for Americans who wanted to do some touristy stuff but also have a more local experience, while being mindful of the fact that we were traveling with a 12-year-old.

I stayed at the LSE High Holborn residence one summer, and it was fine. Good location, small but private room, shared bathroom. Really enjoyed it, and the bar in the basement is great for meeting people.

Depending on when you come over, I’d also recommend the student halls, but you’ll have to be out by the time term starts in late September, so maybe do half time there, half time on something you find on AirBnB. I’d try to stay as central as possible. When I was flathunting when I first came over, I stayed at the SOAS dorm in King’s Cross, and even with the excellent transport connections there, it was still a huge pain to haul @ss around. Being out in Zone 3 or 4 would have been even worse for someone who needs to get around town quickly/easily. Also, if you’re coming over at the start of Sept, the Paralympics will still be on and Central/East London will be less than charming transport-wise.

Your CV can be two pages. That was a big “whoa, really?” moment for me when I was job hunting. DO put that you have the legal right to work in the UK on top of your CV or in your cover letter. Don’t worry about using British spellings. The Guardian has probably the best/most popular jobs website, but definitely Google around to find recruiters.

Things to include on your packing list – one of those Totes umbrellas from Target. It’s impossible to find an inexpensive collapse-with-a-button umbrella here. Don’t bother packing electrical items like hair dryers, just buy cheap ones at Argos. And if you like sturdy Q-Tips, bring them from the States :)

I like to watch Ina “Fight Club” style, i.e., pretending that Jeffrey is dead and that Ina is basically off her rocker. Her friends come over to check on her often. “Ohhhhhhhhh, you’re waiting for Jeffrey, Ina? That’s greeeeeeeeat!” *pats head* “I’ll slip your meds into the brownies, ok?”

January, I am sure Kate Middleton is a very nice person, but I think her clothes are more interesting than her. Nothing against Kate, she’s lovely. But, it’s my dinner party. ha. I’m on the fence about Oprah – I feel like she would monopolize the conversation and she would be all passive aggressive for trying to +1 and bring Gayle and I had to tell her no.

eek – No criticism intended, I’m just amused by the mental image of a Reiss dress sitting on a chair among all your other luminous guests! Agree that the Duchess doesn’t have much of a public persona, so I probably wouldn’t invite her to dinner, either, unless she wanted to give me fashion advice.

@ January — your post totally made sense; I just wanted to explain why crazy me prefers her clothes. You’re right, we don’t know much about her persona. Also, spinoff of Mamabear, what if Ina likes Kate more than me? Another reason why she can’t come.

I started thinking about bourbon-soaked fruit – for example, peaches over ice cream, or a fruit tart. From a quick google of “bourbon soaked fruit desserts” this one caught my eye, and you could sub in fruits as desired – http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/tipsy-spiced-fruit-tart-50400000108678/

Martha Stewart has a whole feature on this.
http://www.marthastewart.com/901277/kentucky-derby-inspired-recipes#/198540
I think the Roses pie looks pretty good. Apparently any chocolate pecan pie with bourbon is the standard.

AIMS is right–Derby pie is chocolate-pecan pie with a bit of bourbon, and that’s the standard. Recipes generally don’t call it Derby pie because the name is owned by a company that sells pre made (not very tasty) pies. Bourbon balls are pretty easy to make (but they’re not my personal favorites). Lemon squares would also be tasty and go well with the traditional food.

Ooh, Derby Day! I’m hosting a party, too, but not till a few weeks from now (better late than never!). I’ll definitely make Derby pie–not sure where I’ll find a pie plate, though–and I brought a bottle of Maker’s from home at Christmas that I’ve been saving for mint juleps. My community is going to think that the Americans are crazy when we start running around in big hats with paper horses. At Thanksgiving my host family thought it was so bizarre that all of the dishes were a mix of sweet and savory–I hope they’ll like the pie!

Are you currently abroad right now? When I was studying abroad we bought a bottle of Maker’s specifically for juleps as well. My local friends thought some American traditions were crazy, but we had fun all the same :)

Yup, I’m abroad, and my community has had veeeerrry little exposure to other cuisines, so it’s fun to get them to try new things! They love brownies, though they were initially skeptical about how dense and moist they were (not cake-like enough). But now, every time I make them, they’re gone right away.

Kentucky Derby Pie! I come from Baptist roots, so my mom’s recipe cuts out the bourbon, but I’m sure you can find one online that adds it in. It’s basically a chocolate-pecan pie, and it’s delicious. My mom also adds Heath bar into it sometimes, which makes it even more tasty.

Muddle the sugar, mint leaves and a few drops of bourbon in bottom of chilled glass. Add 1 handful of ice. Place the straw in the cup and pour the bourbon over ice. Add more ice, forming a mound at the top of the cup. Place the mint garnish near the straw (so you smell more mint while you sip). Enjoy!

I am going to try the Smitten Kitchen blondie recipe in the near future, and you can dress that up with some bourbon and pecans. It looks pretty simple, too, so bonus points there. Although I was gifted Derby Pie in a jar, so I may need to make that in the near future :)

Sale alert! Neiman Marcus is having a surprisingly good sale right now. It’s marketed as the Real Deal sale, up to 40% off, but when I went to the stores, I saw prices on brands like Elie Tahari, Milly, David Meister, Kay Unger, etc. marked down significantly more, up to around 65% or so. I scored two lovely David Meister dresses and an Elie Tahari silk top for about $350 total (retail over $1000 total). Whoo!

Background: I’m in charge of our family finances, and I’m very nerdy about it and reconcile twice a week. Lately, for several months I’ve been feeling some unease that our checking account does not have as much money in it as I am expecting, based on our budget. At this point, based on my hand-reconciliation, we have $642.00 in our account. So I’ve been a little panicked as we are coming into the season of more expenses, less income in my family.
However, according to the bank, we have the amount of $642.00 + [my biweekly paycheck amount] + [0.20] in our bank account. I’ve gone through and re-reconciled everything for the last 6 MONTHS, and cannot find a time that I’ve missed recording my direct deposit. Also, I found the place where I incorrectly read a ‘7’ as a ‘9’ causing me to be 20 cents off – my point being, I’m really particular about making sure that our accounting is done correctly. Also, there are no outstanding charges/checks right now on our account, unless they are more than 6 months old – I have quintuple-checked.

What should I do? Act like I still have $642.00 in our account (meaning we will probably need to transfer money out of savings to cover some semi-annual large expenses coming in the next month or so) or declare checkbook reconciled with $642 + paycheck amount in balance henceforth the base?

Also, I’m open to any recommendations for software/spreadsheet reconciliation. Nothing fancy – something I can just export and will show balances/totals. I’m stressing myself out too much doing this by hand.

I use Quicken and reconcile vs. the paper statement. If you’re that precise (which I am also), you should definitely be on Quicken or some other computerized system. It will make your life much easier. And if you’ve counted the number of your direct deposits this year and they’re correct, you might have gotten off ages ago without realizing it, in which case you’ve just found some extra money

Apologies – that does come across as more of a freak-out than clearly state problem.

The issue is this – the hand-reconciliation of our checkbook, going back six months, shows that there is significantly less money in our checking account than what the bank says there is. The difference is exactly the amount of my direct deposit paycheck. However, I’ve gone back six months, as far as I have access, and can’t find a time when I forgot to add a paycheck. I’m worried that if I add that amount back to my hand-reconciliation, that a charge we have no record of will somehow show up and I’ll be overdrawn on our checking account.

did you get 3 paychecks in March? Also have you looked at the statement? Sorry I am still have trouble figuring out your problem but I use online banking. If you get your statements shouldn’t you be able to see where or when the extra money was put in?

I do use online banking; but the statements only go back 6 months online. So, for at least 6 months there’s been a discrepancy of [paycheck amount] between what the bank says my balance is, and what my records show my balance is. But in those 6 months, there is no record in the statement of a deposit that I didn’t also record.

I’ve only finally confirmed it because we usually have a lot of money movement going on, but for the first time in several months we have absolutely no outstanding charges so it’s clear that there is an actual difference in balances.

Shrug. You can save PDF’s of the statements (at least at my bank), so you can have your own copy of the statement without being limited by the online access. So you can still have copies without having all the paper.

Have you checked your itemized bank statements against your hand-reconciliation? It seems possible your work accidentally deposited an extra paycheck (or that you missed a three paycheck month?) that would show up on the statements.

what are the chances that a still-to-hit charge would be the exact amount of your paycheck? slim, I would think. Therefore , the error (either yours or your bank’s) has to be around a missing or an extra paycheck. Helps narrow your focus at least.

Agree. If the discrepancy is exactly that much, that’s what happened- paycheck is missing or extra from somewhere, no other outstanding charge is likely.

I cannot imagine your work accidentally did an extra paycheck and hasn’t noticed. In addition to all of the things others suggests re checking back statements, you could try contacting your payroll person to be sure.

Here’s my most common sense answer: You have checked back 6 months and haven’t found the extra paycheck or other explanation. If the extra money has been there for more than 6 months, it is almost certainly yours and not some bank mistake or pending charge. You missed one somewhere, it doesn’t matter where. Let it go. (I realize that you probably won’t, but thought it was worth saying).

How long has the bank showed the extra money? My bank randomly showed I paid my credit care bill twice, so I had a negative balance for about a week. They figured out their mistake thoug, and it evened out.

When was the first time the bank thought that you had [amount of your paycheck] more in the account than you thought? If you just noticed it this week, then it has to be related to your most recent paycheck.

Also, maybe it is a fluke that the amount is your paycheck? I am pretty compulsive about balancing my checkbook to the penny every week. Sadly, I also am mathematically challenged. Over the years, when it doesn’t balance, I have noticed two common errors (made by me!): (1) I forgot to write down my paycheck as a deposit but the check was direct deposited so the bank knew about it, and (2) I either added or deducted something twice.

No advice on the current issue, but we use Mint for all our expenses. It takes some time to set up the initial categories, but it makes the weekly or monthly budget re-caps super simple. We also have categories for our rental property and my MBA expenses, so we can get a true sense of what we spend to live vs. spending for education/rental property. The rental property category is also helpful at tax time, since we can do a write-off on those expenses.

It sounds to me, OP, like you’re saying that going back 6 months, the extra paycheck money has been there the whole time. IF so, you probably missed a check more than 6 months ago, and are just now realizing it because you’ve got nothing pending to mess with your numbers.
You can pop into your bank and they’ll usually give you a printout of deposits going back however far you want, at least mine always has. You can get just deposits, since that’s likely the problem, and go back farther and see where you missed one.

If the problem recently appeared, the extra march paycheck possibility seems viable, but it sounded like you were saying the money has been there at least 6 months.

I’m going to a baby shower tomorrow and was asked to bring an item to be included in a “labor survival kit” that I guess we’re putting together for the mom-to-be. Readers with kids, any suggestions of items you would have had in such a kit?

I’d bring an iTunes gift certificate so she can buy labor-music, or a clean sock with tennis balls stuffed inside. The sock-with-tennis-balls is supposed to be great for back labor. I never needed it or used it (thank you, epidural!) but it was one of those things that I was obsessed with putting together before my due date.

Snacks (granola bars, dried fruit) because she might be in labor for a long time and end up missing meals, slippers or slippersocks that can be tossed out before she is discharged (not ask me why I had to throw away my slippers), lip balm, reusable water bottle (preferably one with a straw).

I would hesitate to buy any lotions or potions with a scent as they could irritate the new baby.

I was glad to have trail mix and juice boxes (although I had to sneak them since they don’t want you to eat at the hospital once you’re in labor). I also had a tennis ball for back massage but didn’t end up using it. Can’t really think of much else for labor per se. Socks with tred on them are nice, but both times they gave them to me when I was admitted. If post-labor stuff is allowed too you could get a nursing tank (Target has a lot of good ones) or some postpartum products- Earth Mama Angel Baby has some great ones.

The no-food-during-labor policy is probably in case they need to do emergency surgery – I don’t have kids, but once when I was hospitalized I wasn’t allowed to eat for 24 hours in case they decided they needed to put me under. It seems crazy to have women in labor also be starving, but I’m sure there’s a medical reason for it.

A good friend went into labor with her first baby in the morning after eating only a handful of Cheerios. She assumed she would be able to eat at the hospital, so didn’t have anything else before she left the house. Upon arrival, she was told no food or drink until after the baby was born. So she spent her entire labor ravenously hungry. She had all her relatives bring her favorite treats so she could indulge as soon as possible!

It is because if you have to be under general anasthesia for a cesarian (rare) you can aspirate (choke) on any food in system and it is a serious complication. They can give you fluids to keep energy up somewhat but that is the reason for the restriction.

Pushing and squeezing out a baby causes all kinds of rips and tears, not just where you’d expect them. And then it is very, very painful to go #2 for a few days. Or so I’m told, because not coincidentally, I’ve recently decided not to have children.

This is sadly true, plus if you get pain meds and/or epidural, those things can constipate you further.
Many women have to have stitches in that area after childbirth. Many. Trust me, stitches in that area do not make for a fun bathroom time. At . All.

What a weird request. It’s so personal. I have my kit packed with essentials already (the hemorrhoid stuff, nursing pads, sanitary pads, etc) and packed MY favorite warm slippers, tank tops, etc. I have a travel kit for regular travel that already has the shampoo and such. How will the guests know which items she has or wants? I think snacks are good, if you know what she likes, as they don’t get into her personal business too much.

Or a fun playlist downloadable to ipod. Or fun reading materials to distract her. Or some fun focal point picture.

So I sent a good friend an electronic gift certificate semi-anonymously last weekend and haven’t heard anything from her. I chose a funny name for the “sender” but used my real email address and included a message that referred to a conversation we’d just had, and the gift certificate was in the amount of an item we’d just discussed her wanting really badly. I sent it to her because she’s had trouble finding a job and isn’t spending money on non-essentials right now, but has also been bumming about a relationship with a guy who makes her feel really crappy, and I thought getting to buy something pretty that she really wanted would cheer her up. I thought at the very least I’d get a “Hey, so I got this gift certificate and wondered if you had anything to do with it” message, and I can’t imagine she wouldn’t know it was from me. So now I’m confused. It may have gone into her spam folder and she hasn’t seen it, or I may have inadvertently made her feel awkward and she deliberately isn’t bringing it up with me, or she may have received it and genuinely doesn’t know who it was from. I just want to make sure she got it OK, but have no idea how to bring it up without it being totally weird and awkward. I just feel like an idiot now.

Why do you feel like an idiot? She probably got it and thinks you wanted it to be anonymous, or she just hasn’t had time to send a thank you yet. At any rate, whenever I have sent a gift and am not sure it was received, I just send an email or text like “Hey, I sent you a surprise gift last weekend and wasn’t sure if you got it. Can you confirm?” No big deal.

I just hope I didn’t make her feel weird, like if she’s self-conscious about her current situation. And she’s a very independent, self-reliant woman who never asks anyone for anything. I kind of did it on a whim and am wondering if it was the right thing to do.

Yes, it was totally the right thing to do, bc ur an awesome friend. Some of these e-gift things have a reminder option, so maybe you can log in and do that? Like a fb poke? Or just be direct like J suggests. You two are pals, it’s nbd.

I sent a good friend and coworker a six month birchbox subscription for the months leading up to her wedding. Brichbox did not include anything in the package about it being a gift, who it was from or anything – she thought it was a thank you from an event she had attended!

We went out for coffee and she started talking about the nail polish she had on and the gift she’d received from the venue. I started to put two and two together and realized that she had received her box! I just asked her if it was from Birchbox (it was) and explained it to her…but I was really irritated that they didn’t include any mention of a gift! Not that I need/must be thanked, but just so that she could have known what was going on. Maybe go out for coffee and ask if she received it? Idk, obviously, I’m not supreme at handling this situation!

It sounds like you are saying that you may have erroneously gotten an extra direct deposit. I know it’s tempting to pocket the money, but I think you should probably contact your HR department and ask them to look into it. They will fund the error eventually, and it might look bad if you didn’t report it. if they look into and find no error, you get a windfall– extra money and karma points for being honest.

I like it even better than the old The Skirt. I have it in two colors. I am 5’5″, pear, usually wear a 2ish in AT/BR/jcrew (but sometimes have to size up to a 4 and get it tailored in jcrew) and I got a 4 in this and it is PERFECT. I have it in two colors.

How’s the lap-wrinkle factor? I usually wear the J.Crew No. 2 pencils, but the cotton ones wrinkle very badly, so I won’t buy them. And does it fit similarly to The Skirt? The Skirt and my figure aren’t friends.

I have short legs, so it hits just above my knee. It’s cut every so slightly straighter than the orginal skirt, but it still works for curvy figures. I can’t comment on the lap wrinkle factor yet, though, because I haven’t worn them for very long periods of time…

I’m in mid- management and I love the company I work for, adore my boss, am passionate about the work I do, and have many friends I’ve made through the years in my department and others. Whenever we have an open position in my department, my boss usually has me interview candidates to get my general gut sense and answer their questions about “culture.”

The problem? There is an absolute B at my level, and I feel awful for anyone that is going to have to work under her. (She’s one way in front of our boss and completely another when he is not around. A total Jekyll and Hyde, and I count my blessings every day that I don’t have to work directly with her on projects.) I’ve had candidates ask me what she’s like to work with during interviews, and I just don’t know what to say. (In my head, I’m always screaming–“This is a fantastic place–really– so long as you’re not in this position.) The last person we hired (a very sweet but incredibly meek guy) was regularly screamed at and talked to in a very dehumanizing way (one time she was shouting in a closed conference room that I could hear down the hall–like straight out of something where I thought it could turn physical). Another coworker alerted my boss out of concern for all involved that it would likely escalate to HR. I didn’t get the opportunity to work with this hire directly, but I heard from others that his output was strong (unfortunately, the job rarely afforded the opportunity to work with them). Queen B came to me yesterday to say he had left and then bad mouthed him about being a bad fit. I don’t know what happened, but I very much doubt my boss had a fair picture of what was happening day to day. I feel guilty for being on the sidelines but also wanted to respect that it wasn’t my business (I did talk to the hire one time after work when it was just us and told him that I had overheard her talking to him earlier, and that I really respected that he was able to stay so calm and added that he shouldn’t take it too personally since I’ve seen her that way with others quite a lot [I didn’t say it, but I know of several absolutely disgusting emails with contracted workers that my boss wouldn’t see; I inadvertently got them through forwards and didn’t save]). I’m sad that he has probably left without a decent reference base now.

Going forward, what do I do when my boss asks me to help interview for this poor soul’s replacement ? I don’t want to take part in throwing another sheep into the lion’s den.

You need to speak to your boss. Part of your job is keep him apprised of any and all situations. It makes you AND your boss look like morons keeping someone like this employed in a position where she can literally abuse other people. DO SOMETHING.

Documentation will absolutely help. As for those emails – you can speak to IT and have them go through your email archives. Usually narrowing down a time frame can make it easier.

Is your boss aware of her managerial style? I think it would be okay to say, “Boss, I know you want me to interview candidates to fulfill our empty role. I’m concerned if we don’t address some of the reasons Past Candidate left, we will find ourselves doing another search in a few months.”

Alternatively, you can just say, “I think the interview should be with Queen B, as the candidate will be working directly under her.”

Please please please let your boss know!
Both I and DH have been those at the receiving end of such a person one too many times and had it affect our careers significantly. People like Queen B not only bad mouth, but they also give unfair performance assessments to contractors resulting in getting a bad performance review.

I have a coworker like this. She’s senior to me, but not my supervisor. Pretty much everyone in my department has tried to intervene with her once or twice, and she just turns around and bullies them. There’s no way my boss really doesn’t know; every single person in our office knows and he’s made comments that imply he knows but he obviously likes her a lot and doesn’t want to ask her to change (also, she gets really defensive and shouty if anyone criticizes her, and he probably doesn’t want to deal with it). To get someone fired or disciplined at my office, you need quite a few HR incidents, and even if I went to HR myself it would only be her first incident since my boss never reports anything and I’m sure she’d find out. If he wants to let her get away with it, he’s the one who looks the worst.

All this is to say that honestly, if I were you, I’d keep out of it and just decline to participate in interviews for her new subordinate.

Oh, if you have his contact info, you could also contact the recently departed employee and offer to serve as a reference for him. He’d probably appreciate that since I’m sure he doesn’t want to use her.

Hive, can you please send positive thoughts to Mr. Anonymous? He has a job interview happening this very moment, and it would dramatically change our life for the better if he was offered the position. He is sort of the underdog, just barely qualified, and so we have low expectations, but it would make our lives awesome beyond belief if he got this offer.

Sending them now! Mr. Anonsensical just had a similar interview and we’re still waiting to hear, so I have something of an idea of what you’re going through. Hope he rocks the interview and gets the offer soon! I will keep my fingers and toes crossed for you both!

Sending positive thoughts in his (and your! so you can be supportive no matter what happens) direction. Good luck to him, and please do keep us updated! Also, that’s awesome that he’s going for it as an underdog.

You poor baby. This allergy thing just has you nuts. I hope it settles down – we are past pollen season here and just heading into hot and humid. You need your Turtle Chex Mix.

I’m off today (way too many vacation days to use before the end of the fiscal year) and have barely been out of bed. Feel like a zombie. I’d love to have a fun productive day but it’s hard when I can’t get moving.

Yes! It’s totally a Mondays type of Friday! I have to give up my office, I’m about to head to the most awkward lunch ever with my mother, and I’m bored out of my mind at work. Oh, and weather is nice, but I have to sit here and stare at this stupid screen, pretending to be busy, until I can leave at 4:55 pm. Worst. Friday. EVER.

Actually, there is. Hmmmm. TBH, it was so frustrating to hear from my super cool new allergist that I’m doing everything right and I’m still suffering so much. Good thing I have a trainer to work off all the sugar I’m consuming to get me through the day. Allergies make me super sleepy.

Am I the only one who thinks that this neckline shows too much skin? Not because I am modest (at night I would show far more skin than this neckline does), but because it is just begging for sun damage.

I typically wear high round necklines. For about 2 or 3 summers, I switched to Vnecks and tried to always wear SPF 50. My dermatologist, whom I see twice yearly for skin cancer checks and who never comments on cosmetic skin issues, said “I see you have a lot of sun damage on your chest [pointing exactly to the skin that had been covered by the round necklines but exposed by the Vnecks]. We can fix that with a laser treatment.” She was right, I did the treatment, it fixed the damage, and I am back to round necklines.

Ditto to all of the above (including that crew necks are unflattering for me). One top of the ear sunburn set me straight. I have also taken up wearing hats. Even ridiculous hats. Having the extra face and scalp protection is worth looking like an idiot (hats don’t really suit me in general).

I have been trying to remember sunscreen for the decolletage every day- its sort of like my new spring/summer resolution.

……….and now I’m freaked out for the coming the summer.
Around what age did you start start checking regularly for skin cancer?

I’m in my early 20s, just getting out adult acne *sigh*, and I wear spf65 every day (walk to work/class). I’m pale and freckle-y and tend to avoid pro-longed sun. My dad had basal cells removed a few years, so I’m worried I’ll have the same later on.

I started going twice yearly when I was 28 because that year my father was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma. That was 18 years ago. The first time I saw her, the dermatologist gave me a lecture about avoiding the sun, wearing protective clothing and sunscreen. That lecture is almost certainly the reason I have the skin of a 30 year old today, at 45.

The point that I learned with the Vnecks is that sunscreen alone is not enough: you also need to protect your skin with hats or clothing.

They don’t have to change them, just label them. Most American ones don’t have physical blockers which are far better than the chemical ones- look for zinc or titanium dioxide. They don’t degrade after an hour like chems. But they are tough on clothes- I never forget (skin cancer prone) but yuck what a mess especially on nice shirts and jackets.

I am a long-time lurker of this site — I love reading through the comments and seeing the advice and inspiration! And as a 23 year-old, I often don’t feel like I have many opinions to offer. But now I am in a rather murky situation and I would love some advice.

Yesterday I went to a job interview and received an offer. My boss was aware of the interview and I told her that I accepted the offer as soon as I came back to the office. We are parting on very amiable terms (she wrote a recommendation letter for me).

However, I am having trouble figuring out my two weeks notice. I have a vacation that was planned (approved, tickets already paid for, etc) for the week of May 14 – 18. Is it appropriate to count that as one of my two weeks?

For what it’s worth, I am an administrative assistant right now at a small non-profit. Although I have a lot of responsibilities, they also did not have a person in my position for several months before they hired me. Any advice is welcome!

I think it would be NICE to give them a full two weeks, so you would need to extend out your notice period to account for the pre-planned vacation. From a moralistic perspective, you kind of “owe” them since they were nice about you interviewing and even gave you a recommendation. You never know when you will need a rec. again, so don’t burn any bridges unless you have to!

When is your new job supposed to start? Do you want to ask your boss whether your last day can be May 11? Would you be willing to work another week following your vacation before leaving?

I haven’t been in your situation, but it sounds like you have a terrific boss. I would just tell her that you want to make your transition out of the office go smoothly, but that you have a vacation already planned for May 14 -18. Then, depending on the answers to the questions above, either ask her if having your last day in the office be May 11 (and getting your May 14-18 vacation in as an employee) would be a problem for the organization OR tell her you would be willing to have your last day be May 25.

I gave notice at my first post-college job in mid-December. I had planned time off to visit family over Christmas way back in the summer. I thought I was being really generous to the company by not counting that time into my 2 weeks’ notice – I gave them 2 weeks (1 in December and 1 in January) during which I worked, and 1 during which I did not (but when the office was open and they could have worked on hiring a replacement). This meant that I had to delay my start date at my new job, but I thought it was the right thing to do.

Turns out my boss was really upset with me and when I asked her what she thought would have been an appropriate amount of time she said SIX WEEKS! For an underpaid entry-level position? I think not.

I do have a terrific boss. She was convinced I was going to get the job before the interview and gave me a “goodbye present” the day of the interview. So part of me feels like she knew I was leaving, knew that I had vacation coming up and would account for it.

I do not have a start date for my new job (it is in child welfare so it is contingent on a background check/drug test) but the Director (my new boss) said something to the effect of “If you plan on giving a two weeks notice I would give it today” which made me nervous on when they were expecting me to start working.

My boss is not in today, but my co-worker strongly suggested I write a resignation letter and put it on her desk. Which is why I turned to Corporette!

I went with ” My last day of employment will be May 18th. Depending on my availability and the start date of my new position, I am definitely be willing to work until May 25th, and to train someone after normal work hours once a replacement has been found. “

A few months ago, my mom told me she really wants a new robe (and I just remembered this today…), so I want to get one for her for Mother’s Day. The problem is that she is VERY particular about what she wants. Long, soft (she gets too cold with silk), and with no collar or hood. I found the N Natori Long Belted Robe at Lord & Taylor for an awesome price, and Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s have similar ones from Natori, but much more expensive. All are good options, but I’m just not in love with them. My sister and I already bought her a really nice bag, so I’d like to keep the cost low-ish (ideally under $50, but definitely under $100). I think I’d be completely sold on the L&T one if it came in something other than red — a color I love, but only ever see my mom wear at Christmas. Ideas? I’m in the DC area, so local options could work, too, but I’m currently planning to order online.

I have the Natori robe (in jersey, the “shan-gri-la” – probably the one you see at Nordstrom) and I am in love with it. It’s not the most interestingly styled robe on the planet, but the fabric is wonderful. In fact, I love it so much I’m on my second one, despite the fact that it was rather expensive for a jersey robe. I wear it every single morning & my first one lasted over 5 years. Mine is black and not see-through, so I am perfectly comfortable wearing it around the house while I’m getting myself (and two kids and two cats) ready in the morning.

An unexpected source – Bath and Body Works. My husband gave me one when we were long distance – in lieu of hugs, awww – and it is the softest, fuzziest, best thing. And it washes up really well and has held up for five years.

I would just like to sing the praises of the Dr. Sholls inserts for high heels. They are awesome. They are clear, skinny, gel-ish inserts that stick to your shoe and are specificlaly made for heels 2 inches or higher. they provide extra cushion for the balls of your feet, and extra arch support as well. I bought them for a pair of shoes and love them some much i have started adding them to the rest of my shoes. I think they are about 10 bucks a pair. I know there are some store brands that are less expensive, but i have not tried those yet.

I think this is true, but i dont think you are really supposed to take them out of your shoe, except maybe to replace them. And I had the same experience as Lynnet — felt a little weird at first, but fantastic after that.

I just tried these for the first time about a week ago. They feel really weird at first, and I was worried that they would make the problem worse. But by the end of the day it didn’t feel like I’d even been in high heels at all. Then I wore the same shoes for the next two days, which I know from experience will normally make me want to cut off my feet at the ankle, and I had no pain, even during the afternoon on the third day. I’m a convert.

look for the Dr. Scholls on Ama-zon or at drug-store dot com, you can usually get them on sale, or even a discount on a pack of 3 or 4… if you want them in all your shoes, like I do, you can save a lot of moolah.

I have this shirt in fuschia and red and I like it for under suits. It’s very soft. The only cons are that it’s slightly too clingy for my taste, and it hasn’t worn that well- gotten pilly pretty quickly. I think that’s because it’s such a soft fabric. But it’s not a bad shirt for suits and comes in a lot of pretty colors.

In other news, I bought my first ever purchase featured on this site! I bought the navy Tahari dress from yesterday and the matching jacket someone else posted. Thanks for the recs on sizing. I’ll let you all know if it works out!

When you wear this shirt under suits, do you take your jacket off? I could see how it would look great with a jacket over it, but I would feel like I was just wearing a t-shirt and dress pants (middle school dressing up style) if I ever took the jacket off.

BellyBar chewables! Haven’t missed a day in over a year and get no problems from them. Third trimester I needed more iron, and for that the liquid one from Whole Foods works (the pill one was a stomach nightmare).

I do the gummie ones, which were blessed by my OB. I’m not sure they contain the highest amounts of the different vitamins, but it contains 100% of everything but iron and they are very easy on my stomach. I couldn’t do the horse-pill ones and they made me sick to my stomach like I was pregnant (which I’m not).

Same here. I used the gummies (couldn’t tolerate anything else), and then added Slow-Fe for iron (I always got anemia during pregancy). Also take an additional folic acid supplement because the gummies do not have enough.

I have rather severe anemia, and have been taking Nu-Iron capsules for over a year. They are substantially more expensive than other similar iron supplements, but are far far easier on your stomach/digestion, if you know what I mean. =)

My OB didn’t recommend one either but approved of me taking Nature’s Own Organics Perfect Prenatal. It’s a little expensive and you have to take 3 pills a day (I think you can take them all at once, but I space them out and just take one with each meal). They are whole foods based, rather than isolates like most OTC vitamins, so supposedly it is easier for your body to recognize and use the vitamins. They also have probiotics in them. They are also small and can be taken without any food. I also take a DHA supplement because the Perfect Prenatal doesn’t have that — my dr. said probably not necessary but didn’t have a problem with it if I wanted to add it.

Ladies, I am a lawyer who rarely dresses up for work. (Seriously I wear jeans just about everyday.) I obviously wear a suit when I go to court, but that is only a couple times a year and I have a few skirt suits for that purpose. However, I need a new pair of dress pants– like yesterday. I don’t want to spend more than probably $80 and I would like to get them from a store, not online. I am short, but curvy and wear a size 14. Any recs?

So I purchased a bunch of shoes for an event from Nordstrom. Wore one pair and basically after getting out of the car I realized standing + these shoes = impossible. I sucked it up and wore them for part of the night. I’m wondering if its wrong to try to take them back to Nordstrom? I’d love to exchange them for a pair of more comfortable shoes, but I’m feeling guilty. Thoughts?

Nordstrom will not bat an eye if you take them back. I’ve had sales associates specifically tell me to wear shoes for a couple days and if they aren’t as comfortable as the sales associate says, bring them back. It’s incredible, but it’s true. On the plus side, I now buy nearly 100% of my shoes from Nordstrom, so they’ve won my loyalty with this policy.

One of the reasons I love Nordstrom’s is because they will take back shoes that have been worn. I have very sensitive feet and most shoes hurt my feet to a point that I have permanent scars from 2-3 hours of wear. Nordstroms has always taken them back when this happened.

Actually, what you say sounds right. So I tried putting two of those tees in my shopping cart and entering the discount code to see whether it would be applied to my $53ish order. It was. Shipping on top of that is $8, though. If I had the $, I’d go for it. I’ve been finding some nice things at The Limited, too, though I wish they would include some longer jackets in their collection.

I have this shirt in 2 colors, and it is indeed pretty great. Note, though, that it runs VERY small, and the fabric is pretty thin and clingy. You can’t see through it so much, but textures show. I always wear a cami under mine to avoid the undergarment outlines. Fantastic for suit layering, though, and the neckline is a nice, ladylike balance between “t-shirt” and “that’s a lot of skin.”